How Do You Use Highlighters?

Published Oct 20, 2011

Including a highlighter or illuminator in your makeup routine is a great way to add a glow to your skin and can really show off your features. It can make your eyes look brighter and wider, your lips appear fuller, and the contours of your face (like your cheekbones!) seem more defined. However, understanding how and where to apply it is key. We spoke with makeup artist Susie Sobol (who just returned from working backstage at the spring/summer 2012 fashion shows in Europe), to get some expert tips. “You want to highlight the top of your cheekbones, the bridge of your nose, your eyelids, and the inner corners of your eyes,” says Susie. Using the right tools can also make a huge difference. “I use my finger to apply and then a small fluffy eye shadow brush to blend and buff. Make sure you are in the most natural light possible and use a smaller amount than you think you’ll need,” says Susie. “Turn your head from side to side to catch the light and see if anything looks streaky. A champagne color is flattering for most skin tones, while a highlighter with bit more silver in it will pop for evening. Darker skin tones usually need a bit more gold or peach in the highlighter for it to look natural.”

This is a traditional liquid highlighter that comes in eight shades for different skin tones. Add a dot at the inner corner of each eye for instant radiance, or dab a tiny spot into the arches above your eyebrows to look more awake. You can also mix highlighter into your moisturizer for an allover glow.

This pretty, pressed powder palette is a combination of bronzer, blush, and highlighter, so you can use it all over your face, or focus the highlighter high on your cheekbones and the blush on the apples of your cheeks.

A cream highlighter is easy to use on smaller, specific areas. This gold stick turns from cream to powder, so you get a flawless finish, and the formula is easy to apply with your fingers or the included sponge-tip blender at the end. Use it just underneath the outer corners of your eyes (right where you feel the orbital bone begin) and above your cupid’s bow. The light will make your lips look fuller and more defined.